Far Eastern Entomologist Number 430: 11-16 May 2021
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Far Eastern Entomologist ISSN 1026-051X (print edition) Number 430: 11-16 ISSN 2713-2196 (online edition) May 2021 https://doi.org/10.25221/fee.430.3 http://zoobank.org/References/FD096033-3F0C-4B44-8EEC-4EE8A6F7F478 DEALATE QUEENS OF THE ANT GENUS EURHOPALOTHRIX BROWN ET KEMPF, 1961 (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE: MYRMICINAE) FROM SUMATRA R. Satria1,*), R. Jannatan2) 1) Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Padang, West Sumatra, 35171, Indonesia. *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] 2) Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Andalas, Padang, West Sumatra, 25163, Indonesia. E-mail: [email protected] Summary. The hitherto unknown queen of Eurhopalothrix platisquama Taylor, 1990 is described and illustrated. The queen of E. jennya Taylor, 1990 is also redescribed; this species is recorded for the first time from Sumatra Island. Key words: ants, dealate gyne, description, fauna, new record, Indonesia. Р. Сатриа, Р. Джаннатан. Бескрылые царицы муравьев рода Eurho- palothrix Brown et Kempf, 1961 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) с Суматры // Дальневосточный энтомолог. 2021. N 430. С. 11-16. Резюме. Приведено иллюстрированное описание ранее неизвестной царицы муравья Eurhopalothrix platisquama Taylor, 1990. Впервые с острова Суматра указывается E. jennya Taylor, 1990; для этого вида также составлено описание бескрылой царицы. INTRODUCTION The diversity of ants in Sumatra is poorly studied, except for several genera (Terayama & Yamane, 1989; Agosti, 1992; Satria et al., 2015, 2017; Satria & Yamane, 2019; Satria & Herwina, 2020). The genus Eurhopalothrix Brown et Kempf, 1961 (Myrmicinae: Attini) is easily distinguished from the other myrmicine genera by its 7-segmented antenna and trian- gular mandibles (Brown & Kempf, 1961; Taylor, 1980; Bolton, 2003). This genus consists of 53 extant valid species widely distributed in the Neotropics and Indo-Australian tropics (http://www.antwiki.org/). The ants of the genus Eurhopalothrix are generally uncommon due to its small size and cryptobiotic nature, and foraging workers always collected from the soil and leaf-litter by proper collection methods (Taylor, 1990). Only three species of the genus were known from Sumatra Island, namely E. coronate Taylor, 1990, E. omnivaga Taylor, 1990, and E. platisquama Taylor, 1990 (Taylor, 1990; Mezger & Pfeiffer, 2010). During our survey to study the ants in the lowland disturbed forest of West Sumatra Pro- vince, we collected the part of two colonies of Eurhopalothrix. In the present study, we described the dealate gyne of two species of this genus, one of which is recorded from Sumatra for the first time. 11 MATERIAL AND METHODS Species determination of the colony RS6ii2021-SU5 (Eurhopalothrix platisquama) and RS6ii2021-SU6 (E. jennya Taylor, 1990) were done by referring to the descriptions by Taylor (1990) and Mezger & Pfeiffer (2010). The type material image of E. platisquama (paratype, worker, CASENT0900939) and E. jennya (paratype, worker, CASENT0900937) provided by Antweb (https://www.antweb.org/) was also used for determination. Multi-focused montage images were produced using Helicon Focus Pro. (Helicon Soft Ltd., http://www.heliconsoft.com/) from a series of source images taken by a Canon EOS KissX5 digital camera attached to a Nikon SMZ1270 stereomicroscope. Artifacts/ghosts and unnecessary parts (unfocused appendages, insect pin, etc.) surrounding or covering target objects were erased and cleaned up using the retouching function of Helicon Focus Pro, and the color balance, contrast, and sharpness were adjusted using Adobe Photoshop CS6. The parts of the bodies were measured using ImageJ 1.49m (National Institute of mental Health, USA, available at http://imageJ.nih.gov/ij/) based on the photographs taken using a Canon EOS KissX5 digital camera attached to the Nikon SMZ1270 stereomicroscope under suitable magnifications. Morphological terminology, abbreviations of measurements and indices follow Taylor (1990) and Mezger & Pfeiffer (2010). RESULTS Eurhopalothrix platisquama Taylor, 1990 Figs 1–5 MATERIAL EXAMINED. Indonesia: West Sumatra, Padang, Pauh, Limau Manis, Sarasah Uwak Waterfall, 0°54'47.7"S, 100°28'54.8"E, near the waterfall and disturbed forest, 6.II 2021, colony code RS6ii2021-SU5, 1 dealate gyne and 8 workers, leg. R. Satria. DESCRIPTION OF DEALATE QUEEN (hitherto unknown). In general, appearance queen is similar to worker, for worker description see Taylor (1990). Head in full-face view subtriangular, slightly longer than broad, with posterior and posterolateral margins almost straight (Fig. 1); ocelli present; distance between lateral ocelli longer than distance between lateral and median ocelli, and four times as long as major axis of median ocellus; ocelli in lateral view slightly protruded dorsad; eye large, with about 114 ommatidia; clypeus in full- face view broader than long, with anterior margin slightly concave; frontal carina bordering deep antennal scrobe below eye, allowing total reception of antenna; antenna 7-segmented; antennal scape expanded anterad; mandible triangular; masticatory margin with nine teeth. Mesosoma with main sclerites associated with wing function (Figs 2, 4), in dorsal view short and stout; anterodorsal slope of pronotum in lateral view steep; anterodorsal outline of meso- scutum in lateral view relatively gentle; propodeal spiracle conspicuous. Body entirely densely foveolate. Body covered almost entirely by flat-surfaced and squamiform hairs, detail description of these hairs given by Taylor (1990). Head in full-face view, with four standing setae on vertex of head (Fig. 1); antennal scape with two-row of setae at outer edge, first row directly on corner with 10 thick and long setae getting shorter distally; second row with five smaller setae, proximal setae same size of squamiform hairs, but getting larger distally; antennal segments covered with fine simple hairs; pronotum without standing setae; mesoscutum with eight standing setae, with setae on each side of posterodorsal as thick as setae on vertex, and other slender than setae on vertex; mesoscu- tellum, postpetiole and first gastral tergite with two standing setae as thick as setae on vertex (Figs 2, 4, 5); second and third tergite with four standing setae, second sternite with eight 12 standing setae, third sternite with six standing setae, and these setae slender than setae on ver- tex. For color pattern, see Figs 1–5; head, antennal scape, mesosoma, all legs, petiole, and postpetiole dark reddish-brown, gaster blackish brown; antennal flagellum, tibia, and tarsi paler. MEASUREMENTS (dealate queen). HL 0.80 mm, HW 0.90 mm, EY 0.17 mm, SL 0.43 mm, SeL 0.06 mm, DSe 0.05 mm, WL 0.96 mm, PW 0.66 mm, PSD 0.06 mm, PeL 0.44 mm, PeW 0.37 mm, PPL 0.39 mm, PPW 0.56 mm, CI 112. Figs 1–5. Dealate gyne of Eurhopalothrix platisquama (colony: RS6ii2021-SU5, individual: RS9ii2021A). 1 – head in full-face view; 2 – body in lateral view; 3 – eye; 4 – mesosoma in dorsal view; 5 – petiole and postpetiole in dorsal view. REMARKS. So far, only the queens of Eurhopalothrix dubia Taylor, 1990, E. omnivaga Taylor, 1990 and E. jennya Taylor, 1990 were described (Taylor, 1990). The queen of E. platisquama is easily distinguished from E. dubia by the combination of the following characteristics: head in full-face view with four thick standing setae near ocelli (vs. six thick standing setae in the latter); mesoscutum with eight standing setae, with setae on each side of posterodorsal as thick as setae on the vertex, and other slender than setae on the vertex (vs. six in the latter, with thick setae on each side of posterodorsal, and other slender); postpetiole with two thick standing setae (vs. absent in the latter); first gastral tergite with two thick standing setae (vs. eight in E. dubia). The queen E. platisquama is easily distinguished from 13 the queen of E. jennya and E. omnivaga by the presence of flat-surfaced and squamiform hairs in the whole surface of the body and the presence of four thick standing setae near ocelli. The difference between queens of E. jennya and E. omnivaga see in Taylor (1990). The general appearance of each queen is similar to workers, the morphological difference of workers is given by Taylor (1990). DISTRIBUTION. Indonesia: Sumatra; Malaysia: Malay Peninsula (Taylor, 1990; Mezger & Pfeiffer, 2010). So far, this species was known from the southern part of Sumatra (Liwa, Lampung Province) (Taylor, 1990; Mezger & Pfeiffer, 2010; Janicki et al., 2016), while we find it in the middle part of Sumatra (Padang, West Sumatra Province). Eurhopalothrix jennya Taylor, 1990 Figs 6–9 MATERIAL EXAMINED. Indonesia: West Sumatra, Padang, Pauh, Limau Manis, Sarasah Uwak Waterfall, 0°54'47.7"S, 100°28'54.8"E, near the waterfall and disturbed forest, 6.II 2021, colony code RS6ii2021-SU6, 1 dealate gyne and 7 workers, leg. R. Satria. Figs 6–9. Dealate gyne of Eurhopalothrix jennya (colony: RS6ii2021-SU6, individual: RS13ii2021A). 6 – head in full-face view; 7 – body in lateral view; 8 – eye; 9 – mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole in dorsal view. 14 REDESCRIPTION OF DEALATE QUEEN. In general appearance, queen is similar to worker, for worker description see Taylor (1990). Head in full-face view subtriangular, slightly longer than broad, with posterior and posterolateral margins almost straight (Fig. 6); ocelli present; distance between lateral ocelli longer than distance between lateral and median ocelli,